A life of financial freedom

Late at night, moonlight streamed into the bedroom like water.

Zhong Tingyue was working on design drafts, while Chu Fang was on his laptop, researching vegetable planting techniques.

"Mr. Chu."

"Yeah?"

"Is it true that love doesn't last forever?"

"I don't know."

Zhong Tingyue looked up, pursing her red lips. "I always thought He Yi and Wu Di would be together until the end of their lives, but I never expected them to divorce like this."

She paused, then turned back to ask, "Do you think we'll end up the same way?"

"Yes, we will."

"Huh?"

Chu Fang didn't take his eyes off the computer as he said, "Why think about things that may or may not happen? Just live in the moment."

"That makes sense, live in the moment." Zhong Tingyue stood up and stretched, her slender waist like a water snake, her black hair cascading down, exuding feminine charm.

Then, Zhong Tingyue walked to the window and drew the curtains.

Chu Fang suddenly became alert. "Why are you drawing the curtains for no reason, Zhong Tingyue? What are you doing on my bed? Why are you taking off your clothes? Why are you turning off the lights?"

As the lights went out, Chu Fang trembled, a cold sweat breaking out... he stood at attention.

... ...

Next door.

Chu Jin snuggled into Chu Ma's arms, complaining, "Grandma, you don't know how much I've suffered these days. Mom often scares me, saying she'll abandon me. I feel like an unwanted orphan."

Today was Friday, a day off, and Chu Ma and Chu Ba had come to Shanghai to reunite with the family.

Hearing this, Chu Ma felt sorry for her. "Don't be afraid, my dear. Grandma is your support. That bad woman will never hurt you."

"Grandma, you're the best."

"Of course, who told you to be my precious granddaughter?"

Chu Jin tilted her head. "Grandma, if I wasn't Dad's daughter, would you still love me like this?"

"No," Chu Ma answered directly.

Chu Zhi also shook his head.

She had asked for it.

Chu Ma inherited her parents' nature. Compared to her grandchildren, she valued her own children more; there was no such thing as doting on grandchildren more than children.

Therefore, in Chu Ma's eyes, Chu Fang would always have a higher status than the two children.

Chu Jin pouted. "Grandma, I'm not happy. Can't you just lie to me?"

"Lying is bad." Seeing her granddaughter looking pitiful and wronged, Chu Ma had no choice but to say, "Then how can Grandma make it up to you?"

"I want a doll."

"Okay, I'll take you to buy one."

"Yay!" Chu Jin immediately became excited and jumped up.

"Checkmate!" Chu Ba moved a chess piece, saying in a deep voice.

Only then did Chu Zhi come back to his senses. On the chessboard, he was one move short and had already lost.

Chu Zhi's face showed a frustrated expression.

"Grandpa, I lost again."

Chu Ba patted the back of Chu Zhi's head. "You're already very good."

Chu Ba had been playing chess for decades, and his chess skills were superb, surpassing countless people, but Chu Zhi, at a young age, could play against Chu Ba without being at a disadvantage.

Moreover, Chu Ba wasn't holding back at all.

It had to be said that Chu Zhi's chess skills were quite impressive.

"Again," Chu Zhi said through gritted teeth.

"Okay."

The two grandsons set up the chessboard and continued playing.

... ...

The next day, Chu Fang woke up feeling extremely empty. While eating breakfast, one eye was on guard and the other on the lookout.

Zhong Tingyue patted him. "Mr. Chu, control your eyes. You're turning into a lizard person."

"It's all because of you," Chu Fang said angrily.

"You're blaming me for your own weakness?" Zhong Tingyue shrugged.

"Do you believe I'll go take drugs?"

"I'll buy them for you!"

Chu Zhi also drank his milk, saying faintly, "There are children here. Please watch your language."

"Who told you to be a child who understands so much?" Chu Fang rolled his eyes. "Can't you learn from Chu Jin? Only by not understanding anything can you live a long life."

Chu Zhi was excellent in all aspects, but he was too mature. He had read many books, and his understanding of the world had reached the level of a middle school student.

Therefore, he could understand what they were talking about.

Chu Fang then asked Chu Jin, "Honey, what were your mom and I talking about just now?"

Chu Jin's little face emerged from the bowl, her cheeks covered in rice grains, and she asked, "Were you talking just now? I didn't hear anything, hehe... ..."

Chu Fang, Zhong Tingyue, and Chu Zhi: "... ..."

Chu Jin was the type of person who was a foodie. Once she was at the table, nothing could disturb her mood for eating.

After breakfast, Chu Ma fulfilled her promise and took Chu Jin to buy a doll, and Chu Zhi also went along.

Since they were buying gifts, they naturally had to treat everyone equally.

The three of them arrived at a large shopping mall, and Chu Jin pointed to a display window containing an exquisite doll with a porcelain face, silk dress, and diamond inlays, exquisite and luxurious, like a fairy tale elf.

Seeing the amount of money marked on it, Chu Ma couldn't help but gasp. "Hiss... ...150,000?"

The salesperson next to her explained, "This doll was created with a lot of money and has high costs. More importantly, this doll was personally designed by the design master Oliver. This doll was designed based on his deceased daughter and is full of effort. It is also Master Oliver's second child."

Chu Zhi raised his head. "So Oliver took his daughter out to sell. Can I think of it that way? Does he like his daughter or not? Does this behavior violate the crime of child trafficking?"

The salesperson's rambling words stopped abruptly, speechless.

This unlucky child.

Chu Jin pulled on Chu Ma's arm. "Grandma, I want this doll."

"Okay, okay, okay." Chu Ma nodded in agreement.

Then, she handed Chu Fang the bank card to the salesperson to swipe and pay.

Chu Ma was a simple and frugal person, and she still played mahjong for one yuan today, but she was very generous to the two children, and she fulfilled all the children's requests.

After paying the bill, Chu Jin hugged the doll, her face filled with unstoppable smiles. The three of them wandered around the mall. When they were tired, they bought three cups of milk tea and sat on the chairs outside the mall, watching the people come and go.

"Chu Jin, Chu Zhi."

Just then, a voice came from behind.

Chu Ma looked around, and behind her was a little boy wearing a onesie printed with a cartoon bear.

"Shao Xiang, what are you doing here?" Chu Jin asked.

"I came shopping with my mom and dad." Shao Xiang sat next to Chu Jin very skillfully.

Chu Jin pushed him away, saying, "Stay away from me. Why are you always next to me?"

Shao Xiang opened his clear eyes. "Because you are my best friend, and I have a lot of fun playing with you."

"Go, go, go, go away, little brat." Chu Jin waved her hand.

Just as Shao Xiang moved closer to Chu Jin, a mature voice came from behind.

"Shao Xiang."

Hearing this, Shao Xiang's face showed a frustrated look, and he stood up and went to the voice.

Chu Jin looked around, and behind her were two people, a man and a woman. The woman was Shao Xiang's mother, whom she had seen before.

The man was a man in his fifties, of medium build, slightly fat, with an ordinary face and thinning hair.

Shao Xiang walked to his mother's side, and the latter touched her son's head.

Chu Jin asked, "Shao Xiang, is this your grandfather?"

Judging from his appearance, the middle-aged man's appearance was not much different from Chu Ba's, so Chu Jin naturally thought so.

As soon as these words came out, Shao Xiang's mother's breathing stagnated, and she glanced at the middle-aged man with some fear.

The middle-aged man frowned, forming a '川' character, his face a little unhappy, and said softly, "I am Shao Xiang's father."

"You are so old... ..."

Before she could finish speaking, Chu Zhi quickly covered Chu Jin's mouth. He said with a smile, "Chu Jin is saying, you are so old... ... handsome guy."

Shao Xiang's father quietly looked at the two children, his pupils seemed to have an abyss, which made the two of them feel hairy. Chu Ma stood between the two children, blocking their view, with her hands on her hips, staring straight at the other party.

"We have something to do, let's go first." Shao Xiang's father withdrew his gaze and said.

Then the three of them left, and after they left, they could still hear the cheers of Chu Ma and the other two:

"Yeah, we won."